Betrayed by Blood: My Second Life as a Queen novel Chapter 8

Guilt had consumed Willow for years. Even when Asher's temper grew violently erratic, she tiptoed around him, desperate to please him. She had even dedicated her life to medicine just for him.

Her only dream was to cure him. After graduation, she threw herself into relentless research, working sleepless nights in the lab until she successfully engineered a miracle drug a year later.

And the result?

Asher handed her entire research portfolio over to Tessa. He had actively testified that Tessa was the true creator, turning the adopted daughter into an overnight medical prodigy.

Willow had never imagined Asher would betray her. When she saw Tessa's name on the patent, she confronted him in hysterics.

But Asher just looked at her and said, "I lay in this bed for fifteen years because of you, Willow. I sacrificed my youth and my career. Now, I'm asking for this one simple thing. Is that too much?"

She had been struck speechless, left with no choice but to nod.

The memory felt like a boulder crushing her chest, suffocating her.

She had been so young and naive, treating his guilt-tripping as absolute law.

But now she knew better. He had saved her, yes, but she hadn't driven the car. She wasn't obligated to surrender her entire existence to pay for an accident.

She wouldn't be a fool this time.

She would still synthesize that cure for him, but not to mend their relationship. It would be her severance package!

Once she paid off her life debt, she could walk away from the Shaw family without an ounce of guilt!

A cured Asher meant they were finally even!

Exhaling a heavy breath, she ignored the text.

Ten minutes later, Lucian walked out of the bathroom.

Steam clung to him. His wet chestnut hair was slicked back, putting his breathtaking, mixed-race features on full display. His pale, flawless skin and razor-sharp jawline exuded a raw, aristocratic magnetism, hinting at the terrifying corporate overlord he would soon become.

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